The Update: Teixeira, Dunn, Kawakami

We all no by now our hometown boy is not coming home but going to the rival Yankees what is more interesting is that the Nationals offered 5 million more than the Yankees and were willing to go higher, but they kind of got shut out. This goes to show that even if the O's would of stopped low balling
Teixiera he is as i have heard to be a mercenary and does not believe in hometown discounts you can't really blame him for not wanting to go to the Nationals but he did almost shut them out when they were willing to outbid the Yankees of all teams to get him. The Yankees have already spent 420+million on three players and they still have a ways to go to be my World Series favorites(though i still hold out hope for the O's) for all that they are worth there additions probably won't help them in the playoffs, if they get their, with Sabathia having a track record of being terrible in the playoffs, Teixiera never being on a team that has one a postseason series, and Burnett probably being hurt and if he is not hurt it probably won't be a contract year so his numbers will not be as good as last years.

It has been rumored that now that the O's have lost out on Teixiera the will go after free agent Adam Dunn who it a perennial 40 home run hitter and can fill the DH slot and be a presence in the middle of the lineup. I know he strikes out a lot but he should be a god addition to the O's and Camden Yards should help that home run count. I have heard on the message boards that the O's should give him 3 years at 45 million, while i think that is a bit much they need to do something big and make a splash so that they can communicate their plans to the fans.

The O's are in serious contention for Japanese Starter Kenshin Kawakame, which is good because they need pitching. If they do get him it will plant an Orioles flag in an emerging baseball market that the O's should of been in several years ago. He is a veteran that can help some of the young pitchers(once they get over the language barrier) develop along with help give stability for a few years in the rotation that has been one of the worst in baseball consistently. He is 33 but he has good control having a 4.48 k/BB ratio last season playing for the Chunichi Dragons. Also he did miss time last season with a strained back and we will have to see how well he makes the move to the U.S. and 5 man rotations. He is projected to have a 4.13 ERA next season in the Chone Projections. It is rumored that he wants around 3 years 35.3 million such as in Hiroki Kuroda's contract, but that should be lowered significantly while he should still cost a lot with teams like the Mets, Cardinals,Braves, Twins, and Red Sox all being major players.

In addition the Giants have signed Randy Johnson to a one year deal worth 8 million plus another 5 million in incentives and bonuses

The Cabrera Expirament is over

The O's non-tendered Daniel Cabrera last night officially putting an end to his stay as a Baltimore Oriole. Cabrera has spent his entire major league career here in Baltimore and it is sad to see him go, but he just was not performing up to his potential and that is why he got released.

Lets face it Cabrera was not that good he had a career ERA of 5.05 and you can always count on him to be near the top of the list for walks and in several other categories that pitchers don't want to be near the top of the list in.

I think a change of scenery would do him some good because he had a 6.28 ERA at Camden Yards while having a 4.47 ERA on the road. Over the past three years he has had a 5.91 ERA at home compared to a 4.51 ERA on the road. It might just be that he needs to go to pitch in a pitchers ballpark where he can build up his confidence and his stats.

The bigger question to me is why they non-tendered Lance Cormier? For a team that needs pitching he had a 4.02 ERA last season in 71+ innings. The only reason I can think of as to why the Orioles would release him is that his career numbers are not good at all with a career ERA of 5.53 over 5 seasons. He is only 28, would not cost much, and would add depth to the bullpen if the kept him. The O's instead will probably look to go after a free agent relief pitcher like Will Ohman.

The Final Four, Four Teams Enter Onley One Will Leave

It is now down to four teams in the bidding for Mark Teexeira those teams are the Orioles, the Red Sox, the Angels, and the Nationals.

The O's have supposedly made an offer of 7 years at 140 to 150 million(20 to 22 mill a year). The Nationals have offered him 8 years at 160 million and the other two teams are also reported to have made offers.

The O's do have a great chance at getting Mark and believe they will as long as he wants to play here over playing with the Nationals, who are our closets competitor for him.

The Hot Stove

There have been numerous Orioles trade and free agent rumors circulating and I have listed a few:

Mark Texiera- His agent has stated that he has recieved offers from every team that is interested(including the O's) and it is also expected for him to get at least 20 mill a year for 8+ years. It is expected that the O's will be among the Angels, Red Sox, and Nationals in the Texiera sweepstakes. It is rumored that Tex wants to play on the East Coast which is a bonus for the O's and it is also rumored that they are willing to go nine years at 20 mill+ a season.

Micheal Barret-With the trade of Hernandez the O's have jumped into contention for Barret to fill the catcher slot until Weiters is ready. The O's are among the Astros, Blue Jays, and Marlins. Greg Zaun also has been rumored that the Orioles are interested in him and Barret.

The O's have or will meet with the agents of John Garland and the two Japanese pitchers Koji Uehara and Kenshin Kawakami this week. The O's are still keeping a lot of options open for their starting rotation and have interest in several free agent pitchers( probably all of them). Also the O's have interest in free agent reliever Will Ohman.

There almost an infinite amount of rumors out there about the O's and this is just a selection of some of the most recent

Hola Cesar Izturis

As you probably have heard the Orioles just sign free agent shortstop Cesar Izturis to a two year deal worth 6 million.

Izturis is a very good defensive shortstop that won a gold glove back in 04. He is not bad with the bat either with a career average of .260 and has some speed averaging 15 stolen bases a season. He has almost no power though with only 12 homers in 903 major league games.

With the acquisition of Izturis the O's can now have a major league caliber short stop to put an end to the black hole that has become the shortstop position post Miguel Tejada. This gives the O's more flexibility when it comes to trading Brian Roberts because now with the addition of utility man Ryan Freel and SS Cesar Izturis they now have suitable replacements for Miguel Tejada and Roberts if he does get traded or gets injured(knock on wood). Overall this is a good move for the O's to pick up a relatively young SS(he's 28) that could be with the team for many years to come.

Hernandez to the Reds

It is now official that the Orioles have completed the first trade of the winter meetings with the trade of Ramon Hernandez and cash to the Reds for 32 year old utility man Ryan Freel along with two prospects Brandon Waring and Justin Turner.

Freel can add to the O's depth because he can play all three outfield positions along with second and third base. Do not look for him to play shortstop though, because he has not played there at all in his major league career. It also opens up the possibility for the Brian Roberts to be traded because Freel can fill in as an adequate major league second baseman.

He could be another Luke Scott type player that has not started every day but once he gets a starting job he could perform very well. Given the chance he should be a legitimate stolen base threat that could steal 30+ bags a season, he stole 35 bases in three straight seasons from 04 to 06. If he gets a starting job and is healthy you could probably pencil him in hitting .270 with 30+ steals.

The two prospects the Orioles got in the deal were 22 year old Brandon Waring who in 119 games at class A Dayton hit .270 with 20 home runs and 71 RBI's and 24 year old Justin Turner who split games at Class A Sarasota and Double-AA Chattonooga could force his way up to the big leagues quickly at 2B.

This trade also ends Ramon Hernandez's stay as a Baltimore Oriole and I say good rittens. If you watched him play last year you know what I mean his defense is terrible and his hitting last year was sub par with a .257 average. This is probably another good Andy MacPhail trade just like the trades of Miguel Tejada and Erik Bedard who just after less than one year post trade i have heard rumours of the possibility of those players being traded again.

Furthermore MacPhail said that more trades could happen very quickly in this qoute from Orioles.com:
"The phone could ring and something could happen right away,...We've had enough preliminary discussions at the [General Manager] Meetings and getting here where that could happen on a variety of different patterns. But there's nothing right now that I'm thinking, 'Gee, when you guys leave this room, we're this close to doing something.'"

Jon Garland?

According to rotoworld.com the Orioles have shown interest in Jon Garland here is there take on Garland and the O's:
Baltimore makes plenty of sense as a destination for Garland. The Orioles don't want to pay top dollar for starters, but they do need an innings eater or two. Garland has quickly gone from overvalued to undervalued after a disappointing 2009 season. He's not great, but he's just 29 and he's never been hurt. He might be better off going the Kyle Lohse route and taking a one-year contract this winter.
I agree that Garland and the O's would go together well with the O's have one of the worst rotations in all of baseball for the past couple of years. Garland is an innings eater he has pitched over 190 innings the past eight years and the only year he threw under 190 innings was his rookie year. He fits what the O's need, which is players to hold spots until their prospects are ready we cannot have a repeat of last year with the orioles forced to bring up their prospects because they simply do not have anyone that can pitch.

He also makes sense because he is not an injury risk like A.J. Burnett is and is on the younger side of 30 which fits MacPhails plans to bring in guys that can be here long term not just stop-gaps or mercenaries. Also did I mention he will be cheap too when you compare him to the possible cost of Burnett it will probably be at least ten million less then the price of A.J. Burnett. I think that he should be a part of the rotation(back end) next year and will be a solid innings eater and if nothing else put up a sub 5.00 ERA next season.

John Garlands Career Stats:
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?playerId=4235

Felix Pie?

It is rumored that the Orioles are going after Felix Pie from the Cubs. The Orioles could be involved in a three team deal with the Padres and the Cubs with the main part of what the Orioles will be giving up is Garret Olsen, who is a California native and the Padres are quite interested in him.
You can read more about it at:
http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-orioles1129,0,3629851.story

The question I have is why? I mean we already have three good outfielders with Markakis, Jones, and Scott along with Lou Montanez and Nolan Reimold waiting in the wings and Tike Redmond in Norfolk. It is basically taking from our weakness(pitching) and adding to our strength(outfielders), which does not make any sense to me at all. What we really need to be doing is getting more pitchers not trading them away. We also have a giant hole at short, which is what we should be taking care of first.

Why Not Burnett

Why should we not go get A.J. Burnett I will explain to you why we should sign A.J. Burnett

The first reason is that he is from the Baltimore area and he lives in the Baltimore area. Lets do him a favor and lets bring A.J. home. Furthermore, he had it in his contract with the Blue Jays that he and his wife get eight limo trips a year to from Toronto to Baltimore.

Secondly, he just makes sense for the Orioles and the O's make sense for him. Burnett has learned a lot from the Toronto Ace Roy Halladay and it has been reported that he wants to be the ace of a young rotation and he has also picked up on Halladays work ethic. This fits the O's because they have a very young and inexperienced pitching staff that is looking for quality arms and leaders. He makes sense for the Orioles to go after him because he is a good arm that should not be too expensive and theoreticly he should still be around when the Orioles are in contention like Andy Machphail said he is looking for long term guys not just stop gap players and Burnett can fit into that role.

So what if he has some inujury problems and is a little bit injury prone he has a career ERA sub 4.00 and he has at least pitched 120 innings in each of the last five years. With Burnett comeing to his hometown he would probably want to work hard to stay here and with him learning a lot from Halladay in Toronto I believe he has turned the corner and like a fine wine will get better with age.

Orioles Quotes

It is time for another addition of Orioles Quotes.
Here is on from the greatest third baseman ever Brooks Robinson.


"If you're not practicing, somebody else is, somewhere, and he'll be ready to take your job."

No wonder he is in the hall of fame.

Orioles Qoutes

Here is another qoute from Earl Weaver that shows why the O's lost so many games last season.

"Nobody likes to hear it, because it's dull, but the reason you win or lose is darn near always the same - pitching."
-Los Angeles Times (June 16, 1978)

Earl Weaver says it best, the Orioles need to get better starting pitching to even be in contention for being a .500 ball club

Orioles 2009 Bullpen

Here is what will probably make up the O's bullpen next season with it being highly unlikely that they will sign any free agent relief pitchers.

1. Chris Ray-He should contend at one of the back of the bullpen spots with him already proving himself in the Major Leagues with a 3.19 ERA in 149 career innings.Probably will start of slow though do not expect him to be the closer right away.

2. Jim Johnson-was terrific for the Orioles last season and he should still remain the eighth inning guy or even the closer. The O's probably will keep him in the bullpen where he has proven to be effective. It is hard to argue against a 2.23 ERA in 68 and two-thirds innings

3.George Sherril-An all-star last season, but in the all-star game got screwed up which lead to an ERA that was 2.5 runs higher than it was before the all-star game. Should return to normal and contend for a closer or setup man spot. He is a nice pitcher to have pitching the 7Th inning.

4.Dennis Sarfate- The Orioles learned a lesson last summer when they tried to make him a starter and that turned out almost as good as the Falcons trading away Brett Favre. As a starter he had a 10.34 ERA, but as a reliever he had a 3.38 ERA nearly 7 runs better. Sarfate is progress well after surgery and should be an excellent middle relief man this year.

5. Jaime Walker-Plagued by arm injuries this year he had a horrendous ERA of 6.87, which is 2.76 runs higher that his career ERA. Should return to normal and be used less then the past two seasons because of greater bullpen depth. Should revert back to previous role as a left-handed specialist.

6. Kam Mickolio- Needs to have better command and is like Daniel Cabrera in size with him being 6-9. If he can control his stuff better it would create a lot more competition in the bullpen and would make him one of the best pitchers they have.

7. Brain Burres- Will probably be the long man for the O's since he is not really starter material. May have competition from others if he does not perform.

Players on the Fringe:
1. Danyz Baez- Did not pitch at all last season and had a 6.44 ERA the year before. With one year left on his contract he could find his way into the bullpen at the beginning of the season if he is healthy just because he is owed over six million this year.

2.Lance Cormier- will probably fight Brian Burres for the long reliever spot. He had a 4.02 ERA last season, which is a lot better than Burres's ERA.

3.Jim Miller- The 26 year-old got his first big league shot last season in which he had a 1.17 ERA over 7+ innings. He adds depth to the bullpen and he might get a shot this season if he performs well enough in triple-A.

4.Bob McCrory- The 26 year-old did not do so well in 8 games amassing a 15.63 ERA.He has proven himself at Norfolk already and just need to make that jump to the big show.

Orioles Quotes

I just felt like starting a new segment called Orioles Quotes where i display quotes by prominent O's players and staff. The first one comes from a man some of you might know as Earl Weaver and it is one of his most memorable.

"The key to winning baseball games is pitching, fundamentals, and three run homers."

This is always true and it should be how the Orioles are built from now on and it is how they will find their way back to prominence.

My 2009 Orioles Lineup

Here is my 2009 Orioles Lineup:

1.2B Brian Robers-Hopefuly McPhail can sign him long term and give stability at the leadoff spot. Hopefully they do not trade him

2.CF Adam Jones-Should hit for a higher average with more homeruns in his second full season

3.RF Nick Markakis-I am also hopefull that he will get signed to a very long-term deal say 7 years 70+million he is well worth it and besides it is better to give the money to him then some injury prone pitcher(Ben Sheets, A.J. Burnett)

4.1B Mark Teixera-The O's should open their wallet and bring Mark home

5.DH Aubrey Huff-Now with a silver slugger in his pocket, I do not expect him to have the same stellar year as last year but should be good for a .280 average, at least 20 home runs, and 80+ RBI's giving protection to Mark Teixera.

6.LF Luke Scott-Might have to compete for playing time with Nolan Reimold and AA Triple Crown winner Lou Montanez.

7.3B Melvin Mora-After putting up some fantastic numbers in the second half of last season to prove that he still belongs in the big leagues he should still remain the teams every day Third Baseman.

8.C Matt Weiters-Now way he is not going to make the club with his talent the question is will he be better than Ramon Hernandez. If he is then he will surely be the everyday catcher if he is not then he will probably go to Norfolk to get playing time.

9.SS ?????-I do not think anyone has a clue who will be the shortstop next season. The internal prospects look bleak, so start looking at those free agents

Top Ten Prospects

Here is the Orioles top ten prospects according to Baseball America.

The Orioles must feel like they're running to stand still.

There are signs of hope. Catcher Matt Wieters was Baseball America's Minor League Player of the Year and may be the best prospect in baseball. The trade of Erik Bedard to the Mariners was a steal, giving Baltimore not only its closer (George Sherrill) and center fielder (Adam Jones) but also its best pitching prospect (Chris Tillman) and a couple of other young prospects who could contribute. Aubrey Huff had a bounceback year, and Nick Markakis looks like he'll occupy right field in Camden Yards for years.

But there was at least as much bad news. The young pitchers the Orioles were counting on either weren't ready for prime time or got hurt. Radhames Liz (6.72 ERA in 17 starts) and Garrett Olson (6.65 ERA in 26 starts) took their lumps in Baltimore. Troy Patton, a key part of the Miguel Tejada trade with the Astros, went down with a torn labrum during spring training. Adam Loewen, who signed for $3.2 million bonus as the No. 4 overall pick in 2002, officially washed out as a pitcher after continued elbow problems. The Orioles decided to try Loewen as a position player and removed him from the 40-man roster after the season, with plans to re-sign him, but he decided to join the Blue Jays instead.

And in fact, the Orioles aren't even standing still. They're dropping back, falling into the cellar in the American League East for the first time since 1988. Baltimore's 68-93 record left it 17½ games out of fourth place and marked its 11th straight losing season.

Things aren't going to get any easier in the AL East. The Rays look like they'll be good for at least the next several years, and the Red Sox and Yankees will continue to be the Red Sox and Yankees. Even the Blue Jays finished 10 games above .500 and have a farm system that's showing improvement.

The Orioles are making progress in player development as well, with an influx of top-end talent in the last few years. Wieters is a legitimate cornerstone player, and the system's top three arms (Tillman, 2008 first-rounder Brian Matusz and Jake Arrieta) all look like legitimate big league starters.

If they're to make a significant jump in the big league standings, Baltimore particularly needs its young pitchers to come through. The Orioles ranked 13th in the AL in ERA (5.13) in 2008 and head into 2009 with no proven big league starters behind Jeremy Guthrie, who's better suited for the middle or back of a rotation than the front.

At least with team president Andy MacPhail now at the helm of the baseball operations, there's a feeling the franchise has a direction and someone with the patience to execute a plan. Spending $10.6 million to get Wieters, Arrieta and Matusz in the last two drafts should pay big dividends, and the trade Seattle gave the rebuilding effort a huge boost. And owner Peter Angelos has been out of the headlines.

MacPhail recognizes the Orioles don't have the depth of talent to compete in the East, but he has assembled several pieces that could help them take a step forward. Getting back in the playoffs remains a mountain that seems too high to climb right now.

Top Ten Prospects
1. Matt Wieters, c
2. Chris Tillman, rhp
3. Brian Matusz, lhp
4. Jake Arrieta, rhp
5. Nolan Reimold, of
6. Brandon Erbe, rhp
7. Billy Rowell, 3b
8. Troy Patton, lhp
9. Brandon Snyder, 1b
10. Kam Mickolio, rhp
BEST
TOOLS
Best Hitter for Average Matt Wieters
Best Power Hitter Matt Wieters
Best Strike-Zone Discipline Matt Wieters
Fastest Baserunner Xavier Avery

Best Athlete Tyler Henson

Best Fastball Kam Mickolio
Best Curveball Brian Matusz
Best Slider David Hernandez
Best Changeup Brian Matusz
Best Control Brad Bergesen
Best Defensive Catcher Matt Wieters
Best Defensive Infielder Blake Davis
Best Infield Arm Bill Rowell
Best Defensive Outfielder Matt Angle
Best Outfield Arm Nolan Reimold

PROJECTED 2012
LINEUP
Catcher Matt Wieters
First Base Brandon Snyder
Second Base Brian Roberts
Third Base Billy Rowell
Shortstop Luis Hernandez
Left Field Nolan Reimold
Center Field Adam Jones
Right Field Nick Markakis
Designated Hitter Aubrey Huff
No. 1 Starter Chris Tillman
No. 2 Starter Brian Matusz
No. 3 Starter Jake Arrieta
No. 4 Starter Jeremy Guthrie
No. 5 Starter Radhames Liz
Closer George Sherrill

TOP PROSPECTS
OF THE DECADE
Year Player, Position 2008
1999 Matt Riley, lhp Dodgers
2000 Matt Riley, lhp Dodgers
2001 Keith Reed, of Newark (Atlantic)
2002 Richard Stahl, lhp Out of baseball
2003 Erik Bedard, lhp Mariners
2004 Adam Loewen, lhp Orioles
2005 Nick Markakis, of Orioles
2006 Nick Markakis, of Orioles
2007 Bill Rowell, 3b Orioles
2008 Matt Wieters, c Orioles

TOP DRAFT PICKS
OF THE DECADE
Year Player, Position 2008
1999 Mike Paradis, rhp Out of baseball
2000 Beau Hale, rhp Out of baseball
2001 Chris Smith, lhp Out of baseball
2002 Adam Loewen, lhp Orioles
2003 Nick Markakis, of Orioles
2004 *Wade Townsend, rhp Rays
2005 Brandon Snyder, c Orioles
2006 Bill Rowell, 3b Orioles
2007 Matt Wieters, c Orioles
2008 Brian Matusz, rhp Orioles
* Did not sign

Bye,Bye

As they say parting is such sweet sarrow and that is what three of the Orioles have done. Kevin Millar, Jay Payton, and Alex Cintron have all filed for free agency. While none of them are the really big names some of them have meant a lot to the Orioles team this season. Kevin Millar has always given something good to the team since he was here whether through his play on the field, his ability to keep the team lose, and my personal favorite the resurgance of Orioles magic which i hope will never die. All three of these players will be missed some more than others of course we all will just be left wondering what could have been? and what could they accomplish?

All three were not at all stars and probably will not have much of an impact on the field next year. Aside from Millar's leadership the O's will not have lost that much this offseason due to free agency. The bigger question is what will they do to fill the holes they have? With Millar leaving there is a hole open at first base, where most fans hope it will be filled by Mark Texeira, but if that does not happen it could be filled by Aubrey Huff moving to that spot if the O's don't get someone else. The shortstop position on the other hand is a great big hole that cannot be filled internally and requires the O's to sign or trade for a shortstop that plays good defense and is not bad with the bat. The absence of Jay Payton will probably be filled by Lou Montanez and by whether or not the O's want to call up Nolan Reimold, overall the O's should have great depth at all the outfield positions next season.

2008 organizational win-loss

The Orioles farm system had a combined record of 390-437 which is a .472 winning percentage. The Orioles went 68-93 a .422 winning percentage. If this means anything, which i hope it does, then the Orioles will be getting better over the next couple years and if the farm system progresses like it has been over the past couple of years than we should expect the O's to turn out prospects like the days of old.

Forgetting what i just mentioned the prospects alone are enough to get even the most melancholy fans pumped. With Matt Wieters and Nolan Reimold waiting to provide some more pop to offense along with the big three of Brian Matusz,Chris Tillman, and Jake Arrieta or as i like to call them ATM because their money in da bank. Along with the big three the O's have a slew of power arms and polished pitching prospects in the farm system to make even the harshest critic put them at least in the top 15 farm systems in all of baseball.

Spring Training?

There still is no word yet as to were the Orioles will play their spring training games at this upcoming spring, but there have been several rumors and fierce competition for them. There is at least four cities that are being considered Vero Beach, FT.Myers, Sarsota, and Ft. Lauderdale where the Orioles have been since 1996.

Vero Beach had an exclusivity agreement with the Orioles that expired on Halloween. Vero Beach has reportedly made an offer to the Orioles after two days of meetings in Orlando Florida. Discussions have been going on for over the past year between the team and the city.

In response to the offer that was made Vero Beach mayor Tom White said " We made them our final offer."and "After many hours of discussion and changing this and changing that, I'm hoping that Mr.Angelos and the board of directors will accept it. I think it's a good offer and they'll be happy here."

The Orioles wanted to tear down the 48 year old Ft. Lauderdale stadium and build a new complex to house the orioles major and minor league spring training complex, but the Federal Aviation Administration(FAA)said it would not approve unless the annual payments maid to the airport next to the stadium increased to $1.3million annually

Unless the Orioles make any significant changes in the next couple of months they will probably still be playing in FT. Lauderdale nest spring.

Rays win, Red Sox lose

The Rays eliminated the Red Sox yesterday in the seventh game of the American League Championship Series.(In my opinion it is still wierd to see Tropicana field full)

The Sox jumped off to an early 1 to nothing lead with a Dustin Pedroia solo home run in the top of the first. John Lester retired his first nine before givng up a run in the bottom of the fourth. Rocco Baldelli single in the fifth to drive in Willy Aybar and give the Rays a 2-1 lead. Willy Aybar homered in the seventh inning to put the Rays up by two as they lead 3-1. In the eigth the Sox had their best chance to comeback, where the Rays used four different pichers, but J.D. Drew struk out with the bases loaded to end the inning.

The Rays won the Game 3 to 1 and now advance to play the Phillies in the World Series

Spring Training?

There has been already several places that have been thrown around for potential spring training sites if the O's do not get a new stadium in FT.Lauderdale.

Sarasota, who lost the Cincinnati Reds to Arizona, could be one possible location due to the higher cost that the Red Sox would demand in a new stadium over the Orioles who have indicated that they will take a renovated one, which makes things cheaper for the city.

Vero Beach could also be a probable location in the future with the Dodgers moving over to the west coast. Since, the Orioles signed an exclusivity agreement with them making the Orioles the only team they can talk to until it expires near Halloween time. Also the Orioles appear to be the only team that might want to move to Dodgertown and is contractually able to due so.

The final place could be Ft.Myers who could lose the Red Sox to Sarasota, thus leaving a vacant slot.

Overall there are many places in Florida that the Orioles have the possibility of having their spring training operations their in the next couple of years.

Never gonna die

The RedSox managed to win last night at Tampa to even the series at 3 games a piece. The Sox have won the last two games after starting the series out by falling behind 3 games to 1. At that time they were written off by many baseball experts and analysts with them saying that this was not the same team as before in 2004 and last year(2007) and that the self called "Idiots" were gone. The sox though did not think that they were done and it showed by their winning of the next two games.

The Red Sox interestingly enough have won 4 out of 5 playoff series when the fall behind 3 games to 1. The curse might just be reversed with the Sox winning a bunch of world series and the Yankees having a drought.

But who cares? No one will eventually because the Orioles will become the dominate team in baseball with stars such as Matt Weiters, Jeremy Guthrie, Nick Markakis, and Adam Jones.

Are you ready?

The past season featured an orioles team that looked very competitive for most of the season and that had a chance to finish above .500 for the fist time in a decade. They were a team that had many new pitchers and some young new everyday players. Thge Orioles outperformed their expectations throughout most of the year until the fell into an abysmal pit the last 2 months of the season.

With last years disapointment hopfully will bring this years joy many of the Orioles players had career years such as Aubrey Huff, Brian Roberts, Melvin Mora, and Luke Scott. The Orioles had one of the best offenses in the American league last year and will probably want to add to it with a big free agent acquisition and call-ups of some of the promising prospects in Bowie and Norfolk.

While the O's offense was above average the pitching was not, The Orioles had injuries affect everyone on their opening day starting rotation and injuries forced Adam Loewen to stop pitching alltogether. In order to suplant their pitching the Orioles probably will call up some more prospects from the minor leagues such as Brad Bergeson, Chris Tillman, and David Hernandez. This all depends on the performance of Garret Olsen, Radhames Liz, and Brian Burres who all had disapointing seasons to say the least.

The part of the O's that we will see changed the most this off season will probably be the starting rotation where they will probably want tomake wholesale changes. If the Orioles sing a free agent like Mark Teixera that will further there already above average offense and if,barring any trades, Matt Albers and Chris Ray can come back healthy the O's should have a pretty deep and solid bullpen.

Johnson to 15-day DL

Jim Johnson was placed on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to September 1st. He was placed on the DL with an impingement on his right shoulder. This will likely bring his 2008 season to a close.

Johnson pitched 68 and two thirds innings with a 2-4 record and a 2.23 ERA. With him going down it leaves a bigger question who is going to fill the closers role in the bullpen? Do not ask me because all of the pitchers have been terrible the past couple weeks and some all season.

An interesting side note ESPN has him making 0 dollars this season.

Guess who's back

The Orioles announced today that they activated Adam Jones of the 15-day disabled list. The 23 year old outfielder was hitting .279 with 7 home runs, 50 RBI, and a .320 on base percentage.

As rosters expand from 25 to 40 we will finally be able to see many of the players at triple-A Norfolk that have some promise, but we will probably not see anyone from Double-A Bowie or only a few players with the Orioles not wanting to rush them along. With the rotation and bullpen the way it is though they need somebody that can throw strikes and can get guys out. The rotation is in shambles with us only having one good starter and he showed signs in his last start of fatigue and starting to feel the pressure of being the only reliable starter.

GEorge Sherrill hopefully will rejoin the team soon, but Chris Ray will not be with the team this season.

Losing

Back in Black

It is finally official that Radhamez Liz will start to day for the Orioles. He is returning from Norfolk to start his second stint with the o's this season.

It's Friday so that means black alternate jerseys.

Liz was 2-2 with a 2.67 ERA(27IP) since being sent down on July 27, and was named the International League player of the week for August 11-18.Liz is 4-3 with a 7.47 (47.0IP, 39ER) in 10 starts for the orioles this season.

Potential 2009 Free Agents

Using various sources i have compiled a list of the possible 2009 free agents. This means that all of the following players have contracts expiring or have the six years of service necessary to become free agents after the 2008 season. The players have the team they last currently played for after their names and are in alphabetical order in each position.
* - have an 09 option

First Basemen
Rich Aurilia-SF
Ben Broussard-TEX
*Carlos Delgado-NYM
Nomar Garciaparra-LAD
*Jason Giambi-NYY
Wes Helms-PHI
Kevin Millar-BAL
Richie Sexson-NYY
Mark Teixeira-LAA
Frank Thomas-OAK
Jim Thome-CWS
Daryle Ward-CHC

Second Basemen
*Jamey Carroll-CLE
Ray Durham-MIL
Mark Ellis-OAK
Marcus Giles-COL
Mark Grudzielanek-KC
Orlando Hudson-ARZ
Jeff Kent-LAD
Felipe Lopez-WAS
D’Angelo Jimenez-STL
Pablo Ozuna-LAD
Nick Punto-MIN
Jose Valentin-NYM
*Jose Vidro-SEA

Shortstops
Orlando Cabrera-CWS
Alex Cintron-BAl
Alex Cora-BOS
*Craig Counsell-MIL
Adam Everett-MIN
Rafael Furcal-LAD
Cesar Izturis-STL
Ramon Martinez-LAD
*Edgar Renteria-DET
Juan Uribe-CWS

Third Basemen
*Hank Blalock-TEX
Joe Crede-CWS
Morgan Ensberg-NYY
*Chipper Jones-ATL
Corey Koskie-MIL
Greg Norton-TB

Catchers
Rod Barajas-TOR
*Henry Blanco-CHC
Johnny Estrada-WAS
*Toby Hall-CWS
Adam Melhuse-TEX
*Mike Redmond-MIN
Ivan Rodriguez-NYY
*David Ross-CIN
Javier Valentin-CIN
Jason Varitek-BOS
Vance Wilson-DET
*Gregg Zaun-TOR

Outfielders
Bobby Abreu-NYY
Moises Alou-NYM
*Garret Anderson-LAA
Rocco Baldelli-TB
Willie Bloomquist-SEA
Emil Brown-OAK
Pat Burrell-PHI
Endy Chavez-NYM
*Carl Crawford-TB
Adam Dunn-CIN
Jim Edmonds-CHC
Cliff Floyd-TB
*Brian Giles-SD
*Ken Griffey Jr.-CWS
*Vladimir Guerrero-LAA
Raul Ibanez-SEA
Jacque Jones-DET
Mark Kotsay-ATL
Rob Mackowiak-WAS
Kevin Mench-TOR
*Jason Michaels-CLE
Craig Monroe-MIN
Jay Payton-BAL
Scott Podsednik-COL
*Manny Ramirez-LAD
Juan Rivera-LAA
Rondell White-MIN

Starting Pitchers
Kris Benson-PHI
A.J. Burnett-TOR (may opt out)
Paul Byrd-CLE
Ryan Dempster-CHC
Jon Garland-LAA
Tom Glavine-ATL
*Mike Hampton-ATL
*Rich Harden-CHC
Orlando Hernandez-NYM
Jason Jennings-TEX
Randy Johnson-ARZ
*John Lackey-LAA
Esteban Loaiza-CHW
Braden Looper-STL
Derek Lowe-LAD
Pedro Martinez-NYM
Mike Mussina-NYY
Jamie Moyer-PHI
*Mark Mulder-STL
Carl Pavano-NYY
*Brad Penny-LAD
Odalis Perez-WAS
Oliver Perez-NYM
Andy Pettitte-NYY
Mark Prior-SD
Horatio Ramirez-KC
C.C. Sabathia-MIL
Ben Sheets-MIL
*John Smoltz-ATL
Julian Tavarez-ATL
Steve Trachsel-BAL
Brett Tomko-SD
Claudio Vargas-MIL
Randy Wolf-HOU

Relief Pitchers
Jeremy Affeldt-CIN
Tony Armas Jr.-PIT
Luis Ayala-WAS
Joe Beimel-LAD
Joe Borowski-CLE
Juan Cruz-ARZ
Brendan Donnelly-BOS
Scott Downs-TOR
*Alan Embree-OAK
Scott Eyre-CHC
Kyle Farnsworth-DET
Casey Fossum-TB
Brian Fuentes-COL
Aaron Fultz-CLE
*Tom Gordon-PHI
LaTroy Hawkins-HOU
Mark Hendrickson-LAD
Trevor Hoffman-SD
Bobby Howry-CHC
Jason Isringhausen-STL
Steve Kline-SF
Brandon Lyon-ARZ
Damaso Marte-NYY
Tom Martin-COL
Julio Mateo-PHI
Guillermo Mota-MIL
Will Ohman-CHC
*Hideki Okajima-BOS
Darren Oliver-LAA
John Parrish-SEA
Chris Reitsma-SEA
Dennys Reyes-MIN
Juan Rincon-CLE
Francisco Rodriguez-LAA
Brian Shouse-MIL
Rafael Soriano-ATL
Jorge Sosa-NYM
*Mike Stanton-CIN
*Salomon Torres-MIL
Derrick Turnbow-MIL
Oscar Villarreal-ATL
David Weathers-CIN
Dan Wheeler-TB
Dave Williams-NYM
Matt Wise-NYM
Jay Witasick-TB
Kerry Wood-CHC

O's call up Mickolio

Rumor has it that the Orioles called up Kam Mickolio from Norfolk. The corresponding roster move has yet to be announced.He will be apart of trying to fill the viod left by George Sherrils injury. Thoough with Chris Ray returnings in a few weeks and gEorge Sherril being healthy the bullpen looks pretty good for next season.

Mickolio, who has been compared to a shorter John Rauch, had a 1.50 ERA spawning 18 innings and 15 appearances with 11 holds.

Scouting Report
Born: May 10, 1984
Bats: R
Throws: R
Height: 6' 9"
Weight: 255 lbs
High School: Belgrade High School had a 2.9 GPA
College: Utah Valley State College, College of Eastern Utah

Drafted:Selected by Seattle Mariners in 18Th Round (531st overall) of 2006 amateur draft

Traded by Mariners with George Sherrill, Chris Tillman, Adam Jones and Tony Butler to Orioles for Erik Bedard

Minor League Career Stats(3 Seasons):
9Wins, 5Losses, 3.18ERA, 88games, 133+innings, 1.29WHIP, 9saves

Sherril to DL

The orioles today announced the move of George Sherril to the 15-day disabled list. This leaves a big void in the back end of the O's bullpen and with Chris Ray weeks from returning who will take his spot? The answer is quite obvious Jim Johnson.

The bigger question is who will get the call up. There are a few players in Triple A that might get the call.
Bob McCrory:Has a 3.43 ERA over 61+ innings and has 10 saves

Kam Mickolio:So far at Norfolk he has 1.50 ERA over 18 innings

Scott Chiasson: The Orioles signed him not a week ago and so far has not allowed an earned run over 3 and 2/3 innings

Ryan Bukvich: 8-2 with a 3.87 ERA over 76 and 2/3 innings, has 7 starts and 23 appearences from the bullpen

Underated

Despite amassing a 3.44 ERA over 345 and 1/3 innings with 229 K's, 17 wins, and 58 appearances Jeremy Guthrie is still underrated. Guthrie, despite having a 3.15 ERA, is still not owned in nearly 40% of all ESPN fantasy leagues. He has given up one earned run in nine of his last 14 starts and in his last four consecutive starts.

The bigger question is why is he very underrated. The only two theories that I could think of only partially answer the question.

1. The first theory is that he is still a relative newcomer to the game. He only has 52 starts so far not even two full seasons as a starter. Also he was not a highly touted prospect when he came to the orioles by a 50,000 waver claim.

2. He is playing on a team that has not had a winning record in ten years and is overlooked. This is probably not the case this season where the Orioles have garnered more positive national media attention than the past couple years.

Arrieta shines in Beijing

The Orioles fifth round pick in last years draft has had a busy year. He was part of the futures game and also is currently on the USA Olympic team.

Arrieta started his first game in Beijing today. He went six scoreless innings in team USA's win over the host country China 9-1. Arrieta gave up just two hits and struck out seven to earn the win for his team. Mike Koplove, Casey Weathers, and Blaine Neal all threw one inning with Neal closing it out in the ninth. Team USA combined to give up just one run on four hits in the victory. The team improved to 3-2 in round robin play so far at this years olympics.

Arrieta would go on to say "I think the reason I was successful was because I had pretty good command of my fastball.In the later innings, I was throwing breaking balls for strikes, and I think I could have done a little better job of throwing more off-speed pitches earlier on in the count. The big thing that helped me today was the command of my fastball to overpower hitters with it and using the off-speed when I had to."

Team USA continues play Tuesday August 19Th against Chinese Taipei and on Wednesday August 20Th against Japan. Both games are at 7am Eastern time at the Wukesong Main Field.

Warning! Contents Hot

After Melvin Mora lead the orioles to a 16-8 win over Detroit Sunday and gave the Orioles a winning road trip for just the third time this year. Mora is leading MLB in most offensive categories.

He is surprising many of us, I thought that he almost did not even deserve to be in the major leagues earlier in the season, but i was wrong. he is on a streak which some analyst say could be one of the greatest ever. The only player that had a similar streak was George Brett.

Mora adds to the Orioles team hitting this season in which they had a very balanced attack. The Orioles are tied for the lead in the league with five players having 17 or more home runs. Three players have hit 20 or more home runs this season tripling the total from last season. If we only were able to have some starting pitching we could be contending right now.

2009 Lineup

1.Brian Roberts(2B)- Should be the Orioles lead off hitter next season barring any trades

2.Adam Jones(CF)-Has Good speed and is still developing his power and increasing his batting average

3.Nick Markakis(RF)-Obvious number three hitter, hits near .300 with 20 home runs and 100 RBI

4.Mark Teixera(1B)-If the Orioles can sign him then he would give the team their first 40 home run threat in years

5.Luke Scott(DH)- Streaky hitter could move down in the lineup when he gets cold. Also provides great power Numbers and should hit over 20 home runs

6.Melvin Mora(3B)-Will not get traded this off season due to his full no trade clause and the nine million he is owed

7.Short stop-Is going to be filled outside the organization through a trade for a prospect or acquiring a free agent.

8.Matt Weiters(C)-Will start on the team next season and will only grow. I have him batting eighth just because of the lack of experience

9.Reimold/Montanez/Fiorentino(LF)-With Luke Scott moving to DH one of these three players will take his spot.

Orioles sign chiasson

The Orioles just signed right hander Scott Chiasson from the Mexican League. The 31 year old had 26 saves and was 2-1 with a 1.90 ERA in 47 games with Tigres de Quintana Roo. He played pert of two seasons with the Chicago Cubs and went 1-1 with a 11.12 ERA in 10 games for the Cubs.

The signing of Scott further proves that the Orioles do not want to call up anyone from AA. Chiasson was assigned to Triple A Norfolk and it will probably be him or one of Norfolk's other that get called up soon.

orioles 2009 Infield

The Orioles Infield should shape up like this next season:
Third Base-Melvin Mora: Owed nine million next season with a full no trade clause, won't be going anywhere

Shortstop-Look for it to be filled externally with hardly no one of major league caliber in the farm system, could possibly occupied by a prospect through a trade or signing a free agent

Second Base-Brian Roberts:Probably will not be traded due to instability at shortstop, if short can get solidified then the odds of him bveing traded increase

First Base-Mark Teixera: I expect the Orioles to give him a competitive offer and he will probably want to go to his hometown clube. If he is not signed then expect Millar back holding it for a prospect like Snyder

Lets sign Texiera

In order to sign Mark Texiera it will probably require 20million or more dollars next season, but i have a way to make space. Forgetting the fact that the orioles payroll is almost 30 million dollars less than it was last year. To make money room for him the orioles should trade or dump Ramon Hernandez, Aubrey Huff, and Melvin Mora. Combined they will make 25Million next season.

The next question is what to do about those vacated positions. To replace Aubrey Huff they orioles can move Luke Scott into the DH role and have Lou Montanez,Nolan Reimold, or Jeff Fiorentino play left field. Melvin's position could be taken over by Mike Costanzo or Scott Moore until Billy Rowell is ready. Lastly to replace Ramon Hernandez you call up "The Natural" or as his moma calls him Matt Wieters.

Who is leaving?

With Chad Bradford departing from the Orioles he probably won't be the last of the high priced players on the roster

Ramon Hernandez- Terrible defensivly and having another subpar offensive year. Owed 8 million next season and i expect him to be dumped somewhere if anyone wants him

Jay Payton-Would make a nice addition to any club and he becomes a free agent after this season look for the O's to try and get something for him instead of letting him walk

Kevin Millar-Would provide great leadership and good defensive play to a contender. The front office would probably want to trade him so they have something when he hits free agency

Jamie Walker- Nice reliever to add to anyone's bullpen, trade value might be hampered by his injury earlier in the season

Aubrey Huff-Having a career year this season hitting over .300 and has hit over 20 home runs. Is owed eight million next season

Melvin Mora- Hit very well with runners in scoring position, but is owed 9 million next season and has a full no-trade clause. Probably won't be traded

Brian Roberts, George Sherril- It is very questionable weather they will get traded, I don't think they will be traded but you never know

Were still rebuilding

Even though we are trying to be above 500. for the first time in a decade this team still has a long way to go to be a true contender for years to come

I think we can expect to see the following players up here by the end of the season.
Matt Weiters-Obviously we can expect to see him soon as he has been great at each level

Hayden Penn-If he doesn't get injured again we can expect to see him real soon, possibly taking over Sarfate's spot in the rotation

Rob Mcrory- Pitching very well at Norfolk we could see him after the Orioles make some more waiver trades to make room

Kam Mickolio- Has a 0.61 ERA at Norfolk through 14+ innings

Brad Bergeson- According to Dave Trembly he is being watched very closely at Triple-A

Players who won't be called up:
Chris Tillman-McPhail wants him to develop in the minors

Most of AA Bowie-Due to them being in the middle of a playoff race, so most players will not be called up to the bigs until after the playoffs

O's win again 9-0

Baltimore scored nine runes again tonight as they shut out the Texas Rangers. The Orioles have outscored Texas 18-1 in the first two games of the series.

Daniel Cabrera went six innings giving up no runs on 4hits, he improves to 8-7 wi a 4.61 ERA on the season. Melvin Mora homered and had four RBI's bringing him to 74 on the year.

Markakis also added a three run homer giving him 17 home runs and 67 runs batted in on the season. Kevin Millar singled in the first to drive in a run and now has an even 60 RBI's on the season. Brian Roberts singled in the fifth to drive home Jay Payton and now has 37RBI's.

A few key game notes Micheal Young left in the fourth with an injured left hand. Aubrey Huff extended his hit streak to 17 games with a double in the second inning

O's win 9-1

The O's beat up on Texas tonight with Jeremy Guthrie going 7 innings just giving up one run improving his record to 9-8 with a 3.26ERA and is currently in the top ten in Innings Pitched, WHIP, and ERA. Millar put the offense onto his shoulders hitting two homers which brings him to 18 on the year two shy of his career record set back in 2003. Roberts, Ramon Hernandez, and Juan Castro also drove in two runs each. Travis Metcalf homered of Guthrie with two outs in the bottom of the fifth to give the Rangers their lone run. Orioles former closer and 1989 rookie of the year Gregg Olsen is set to enter the Orioles hall of fame tomorrow along with traveling secretary Phil Itzoe and William "Wild Bill" Hagy. Olsen leads the Orioles Franchise with 160 career saves.

Rocky Cherry

The Orioles call up Rocky Cherry to replace Chad Bradford. Cherry was 0-1 with a 2.89 ERA over 37 and 1/3 innings. The bigger question to me is why Cherry not Rob McCrory (2-3 with a 2.78ERA over 32 and 1/3) or Kam Mickolio (0.61ERA over 14 and 2/3 innings)and still have Sarfate in the rotation.

Orioles 09 outfield

The orioles 2009 outfield will look like this:

Right :Nick Markakis-obviously he is the starting right fielder

Center:Adam Jones-look for him to develop more power and hit for a higher average in his second year

Left:Nolan Reimold-Should finally get a shot next season in the majors

4th Outfielder:Lou Montanez-He has already proven how good he is in the minors so he will probably kept on the team

Luke Scott- Will probably move to the DH role after Huff, who is currently on waivers, gets traded

Bradford Trade

I know some of you might not agree with the trade, but I have faith in the front office. With our genious front office we will probably get a prospect or two that no one has heard and the will wind up being all-stars. Keep the faith my brotha's

Bradford to Tampa

Chad Bradford was just traded to tampa Bay for a player to be named later.He is 3-3 with a 2.45 ERA through 40 and 1/3 innings. The Rays claimed him of waivers to bolster their postseason bullpen where Bradford has a 0.00 ERA over 15+ Innings, no active reliever has pitched more innings without a run.

Outfield

With Jones being out for several weeks and Montanez taking his spot the O's should trade Jay Payton to a contender that needs him. This would free up room for them to call up Nolan Reimold giving Reimold and Montanez a significant amount of playing time for the front office to evaluate them

Orioles 2009 Bullpen

The Orioles 2009 Bullpen should set up like this:
Closer: Chris Ray-It all depends on how well he comes back and if they move Jim Johnson to the rotation

Set Up(8th inning guy): George Sherril- He probably will stay with the team so look for him to be out of the closers role due to eratic performance

Set up(7th inning guy): Dennis Sarfate- If he ever gains command of his stuff watch out for him to go far

Middle Relievers:
Jamie Walker-A lefty that can usually get lefties out
Randor Bierd- Is young and did well last year in limited appearences

Long Relievers:
Brian Burres- Much better from the bullpen and already proved he should not be a starter

The Orioles bullpen will look very different due to the departure of Johnson and Albers to the Rotation. You could also see Radhames Liz and Daniel Cabrera make moves to the bullpen.There could be several more peoople added to this list because of the orioles having great depth.

Others That might join the Bullpen:
Danyz Baez- Don't forget about his 3 years 19milllion
Fernando Cabrera- Has less than six years experience and should be under Oriole controll
Greg Aquino-Under Six years experience
Lance Cormier- Might return with team
Rocky Cherry- Under organization control for a while
James Hoey- Fell of the radar a little bit when he got injured
Bob McCrory-Did not pitch well in the bigs last year could fight his way back though
Jon Leicester-Might not make it up with all of the competition
Roberto Nova- Longshot possibility
Kam Mickolio-Will add to the depth and competition the way he is pitching right now at Norfolk

orioles 2009 Starting Rotation

1. Jeremy Guthrie- The de-facto ace for the club
2. Daniel Cabrera- The number two starter because he is better and more proven than the rest of the pitchers
3. Jim Johnson- He has been a starter all of his career so expect him to make the move back to the rotation
4. Matt Albers-Pitched exceptionally well before getting injured and losing his oppurtunity to jion the rotation
5. Troy Patton-Was expected to be in the o's rotation this yearuntil he got injured, but he should come back healthy and probably will win the job

The rotation could also include:
Garret Olsen
Radhames Liz
Chris Waters
Bradley Burgeson
Hayden Penn
Ryan Keefer
Kameron Mickolio
Chris Tillman
David Hernandez

O's front office

More and more i am begining to think that they are magical or just geniuses. Take this example they call up a guy who no one has heard of and who has an era over 5 and he pitches an 8 inning 1 hitter

Welcome

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